Phoenix-like faith grips Eagles fans

Associated Press
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly meets with LeSean McCoy during NFL football practice at the team’s training facility on June 6 in Philadelphia. Training camp officially starts with rookies reporting on Monday to the Eagles complex in South Philadelphia. It’s the first time the Eagles will hold training camp in Philadelphia since 1943.

For die-hard Iggles fans accustomed to making the trek up the Northeast Extension for their annual summer pilgrimage to training camp at Lehigh, the trip just got a lot shorter. The team will hold training camp in South Philly this year.

The biggest change for Eagles Nation in the offseason was Chip Kelly taking over for Andy Reid as head coach. But part of the change brought on by Kelly was moving training camp from Lehigh University, where it had been held since 1996, to the Eagles complex in South Philadelphia. It’s the first time the Eagles will hold training camp in Philadelphia since 1943. Before Lehigh, the team held camp at West Chester University.

Fans are hoping that change is the first sign of a better season as the Birds come off a disappointing 4-12 record that marked the end of the Andy Reid Era.

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Camp officially starts with rookies reporting on Monday.

“Chip Kelly is going to establish change and he is starting before the season even begins, which I think is smart,” said Caley Tate, of Glen Mills, who had been accustomed to attending training camp at Lehigh. “People are going to take him seriously from Day 1, I think, simply by changing the location of camp.”

The Eagles announced in June that there would be five free open workouts for fans to watch at Lincoln Financial Field. They will each start at 12:30 p.m. on July 28 and Aug. 5, 11, 17 and 26. Tickets were still available for those workouts as of late last week and are general admission by section. The parking will also be free, and lots for each of those days will open at 9:30 a.m., with HeadHouse Plaza opening at 10:30 a.m. and the Northeast and Xfinity gates opening to Lincoln Financial Field at 11:30 a.m. Concessions will be available inside Lincoln Financial Field, but no alcoholic beverages will be solid.

The new location has sold at least one fan on returning to training camp after years of not going.

“I am very thrilled that it’s back here and that we can go,” said Bob Stephano, of Concord, who plans on taking his two sons, ages 14 and 10. “I think it’s very cost-effective with it all being free. I never went up to Lehigh because it is far, you have kids with you and there was the cost factor.”

One factor that’s important to many young fans is the availability of players for autographs. The Eagles will hand out scratch off tickets to each fan before the open practices. The winning tickets will allow fans to go on the field for autographs after practice. Which groups of players that will sign after each open practice will not be determined until 24 hours prior to the practice.

That player-fan interaction is something that Stephano remembers when his dad, Bob, took him to Eagles training camp back when the Birds gathered at Widener University from 1973-79. He hopes his boys can have a similar experience; he has tickets to four of the open practices.

“Hopefully they will get to see it up close more than they would during a regular game,” said Stephano, who never attended a training camp at Lehigh. “I was a little kid and remember going to Widener College to see them. That was great.”

Part of the new training camp experience for fans also will allow fans ages 14 and under to have the opportunity to catch a touchdown pass on the field from a former Eagles player after each of the open practices. Each open practice also is designated as a day. July 28 will be Eagles Alumni Day, Aug. 5 will be Military Appreciation Day, Aug. 11 will feature a LeSean McCoy bobblehead giveaway to fans 12 and under, and Aug. 17 will be Health and Safety Day.

“We are pretty psyched about it,” Stephano said. “The only thing that is going to cost is the concessions, which is understandable. But I don’t have to use a tank of gas to go up to Lehigh and back.

“I think you’ll see a lot more families because it’s so much easier for everybody to get here.”

The first players scheduled to arrive at the NovaCare complex for practice will be the rookies beginning Monday. The rest of the team will report Wednesday. Full-team practices commence on Thursday. All of the practices not scheduled at Lincoln Financial Field will be held at the team’s NovaCare complex across the street.

The first preseason game will be at 7:30 p.m., Aug. 9 at Lincoln Financial Field against the New England Patriots. The first regular season game will be a 7:10 p.m. game, Sept. 9, at Washington. The first home game will be a 1 p.m. game against the San Diego Chargers on Sept. 15.

“Hopefully Kelly will bring some more change to the Eagles this season with his different ideas, strategies and coaching methods,” Tate said. “After all, Philly wants a Super Bowl, or at least to make the playoffs this year.”